By Betheena Unite
Rehabilitation work on roads that were severely damaged during the armed conflict in Marawi City in 2017 will finally start, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Monday.
DPWH Sec. Mark Villar (JAY GANZON / MANILA BULLETIN)
Following a groundbreaking ceremony, the department will start rehabilitating the damaged roads, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar said.
A total of P970 million will be spent on road rehabilitation projects. It will be funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Villar added.
The Marawi Transcentral Road, which is 9.56-kilometer long, will be rehabilitated under two contract packages. According to Undersecretary Emil Sadain, the two contract packages are expected to be finished by April 2020 and February 2020, respectively.
Detailed engineering designs of 13 other road sections, with a total length of 20.8 kilometers, will also be implemented under contract package 3.
Villar said the contract package 3 loan agreement will be signed on February 10.
The rehabilitation works will cover the construction of Bacong-Poona-Marantao-Marawi Road (including drainage), GMA Terminal Access, Marawi-Cadre-New Capitol, Marcos Boulevard, and Idarus Road Section, MSU-GMA Road and Lumidong-Amai Pakpak Avenue.
Meanwhile, the 9.41-kilometer Bacong-Iligan-Marawi Road will also be rehabilitated and funded by JICA. Villar said its construction will start this year once the bidding process is completed.
The Japanese government, through JICA has donated a total of 2 billion Japanese yen or approximately P970 million for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Marawi City and its surrounding areas specifically its 18.97-kilometers road network.
“These grant projects of Japan are first of the other significant projects that DPWH will be implementing in Marawi City and its surrounding areas within the next four years to ensure better mobility that will boost further growth to the economic conditions of Marawi City,” Villar said.
Villar together with Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda, JICA Chief Representative Yoshio Wada, Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers Concern and Muslim Affairs Secretary Abdullah Mama-o, and Lanao del Sur Vice Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. led the groundbreaking ceremony.
Task Force Bangon Marawi Chairperson Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario and other DPWH official also attended the event.